Showing off Nicole of The House Diaries

February 20, 2015

OK my friends, have I got a tour for you today! I’ve seriously been drooling over this house since I found Nicole’s blog and I couldn’t wait to show you. It’s a stunner…save some time to look through her site because the photos I’m sharing are just a start. :)

Nicole blogs at The House Diaries and their home underwent a full renovation which resulted in some of the prettiest spaces I’ve seen. Now this wasn’t a “thrifty” transformation, but as always there are SO many details that can be recreated – which is what I love most about ogling pretty house pictures.

As I grow older wiser I am taken with simpler decor and design. I find beauty in less clutter and big statements. Nicole’s house is full of them. Her daughter’s bathroom is just beautiful, with vintage-style lights, a classic vanity and a slightly more modern floor tile:

classic white vanity bathroom

That’s one thing you’ll notice when looking at her rooms – her ability to combine the old, new, eclectic and traditional is fantastic. This smaller bathroom is another example:

white and navy bathroomI’ve been wanting to paint the vanity in the Bub’s bathroom a navy blue just like this. LOVE the contrast. I’ve also been wanting to add a window above the shower, and of course this has me sold on that too. Someday it will happen.

Again, the master bedroom is done so simply but with layers and colors that make it feel warm and cozy:

wood bed frame white bedding

They created a TON of storage space in those walls – go check it out to see it all. These are the lovely little details of an older home!

Nicole’s laundry room is the stuff dreams are made of. Seriously. At least dreams that involve laundry:

white laundry roomIt looks like they added a few windows during their renovation and I think that’s some of the best money spent. Natural light makes a home feel so bright and open. Especially important at the end of February when you’ll totally and completely over the cold and snow. Completely.

OK, I saved the best for last! And of course this room is the one I’ve been studying closely because of our kitchen reno. I freaking love her kitchen. It is stunning:

shelves under cabinets

I’ve seen the shelf under the cabinets a few times over the past few years and have been intrigued by it. A few of you suggested it for our kitchen reno and I’ve been contemplating the idea. It would involve moving the cabinets up and then installing the shelves underneath. I actually love the idea – I just can’t decide because I love the look of open cabinets above too.

Again, her mix of traditional and modern came together so well! The vintage-looking lights, planked walls and kitchen table lean more traditional. The lighter wood around the windows, the kitchen chairs and the shape of the backsplash tile are more contemporary:

planked wall kitchen

It’s when I see these spaces with the white planked walls that I wonder if I could do it. I still think I need color on the walls but man, I can appreciate the beauty of the all white. It allows you to have so much fun with accessories and fabrics (like the fun chairs!):

kitchen nook planked wallsThat huge chalkboard is so fun too. :)

Like I said, this is just a taste of her home, go check out her blog to see the rest. I just love it – her photography is so well done too.

Have a GREAT weekend, have fun and be safe!

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Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing Nicole's home. She is one fortunate woman to live in such a beautiful and serene house. You've got me drooling over her light fixtures. Every one on them is perfect. I also love the shelf brackets in her kitchen. What a nice touch.

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  2. Wow! Beautiful and I just love those vanity units in the bathroom. I would love to do something similar only my bathroom is tiny!

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  3. Oh wow, this is absolutely gorgeous. I'm definitely book-marking some of these photos so that when my fiance' and I go talk to our architect & builder, we can recreate some of these spaces. I'm loving the vanities & the shelf under the cabinets!

    xoxo, SS

    The Southern Stylista

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  4. Oh my goodness, the kitchen is gorgeous!! LOVE the Turkish rug with the white and gray!

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  5. Holy moly. I am SWOONING over everything in this house! I was going through thinking about my favorite things, and everything is my favorite thing. I want to pin all of it!

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  6. Beautiful house! I love everything about it! Going to check out her blog now.

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  7. WOW - what a beautiful home. I love her cool color scheme that she has going. I also love how she mixes vintage-y pieces with modern pieces, without it looking too random. Pictures like these make me excited to have a house of my own haha!

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  8. I noticed and pinned the shelves-beneath-the-cabinets before I saw you mention them too!! I would do it in a heartbeat. Have you seen this recent post from LL on the planked walls she put in her father's lake house? I haven't seen it done much. . .must be a newer thing. . .where would you do it in your home?
    http://www.laurenliess.com/pure-style-home/lake-house-update

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  9. She did an amazing job! While so much of it is not my personal style, it is 100% undeniably beautiful!

    About the shelf? It certainly caught my eye right away. Then I started my self-talk and realized if I did it I would only be able to reach the very bottom shelf in my cabinets, and even that would be daunting. I already have a little trouble with the 2nd shelf and the third shelf is definitely deep storage, as far as I am concerned. This would just make it worse. I'd go the open cabinets route and save a lot of work and frustration. And I think some day in the future (when the house was for sale) women would be backing away from the kitchen because of it.

    I do not make many decisions thinking 'resale' but moving cabinets is a big hairy deal. It's a practical issue rather than a decorative one.

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    1. Totally agree. The kitchen is beautiful, but for anyone under about 6 ft tall the cupboards would be unusable without a step stool constantly at the ready. And that would get old very fast.

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  10. She has a lovely home. It's so fresh. I love how she mixed furniture pieces to create a nice homey feel. Traditional with a modern touch. It takes real talent to pull it off. And, tapping into hidden spaces for extra storage space - brilliant!

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  11. What amazing spaces! I love the farmhouse mix with the modern pieces. Especially love the tile floor in the bathroom, the laundry room (amazing), and the kitchen. Inspirational and full of ideas. Thank you for sharing Nicole's home!

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